I've only gone and taken part in my very first vlog!

Eleanor from Knit Nottingham invited me along to her wonderful yarn shop in the centre of Nottingham to make a guest appearance in her Vlog a Day April. I was super excited that she'd asked me, albeit a little daunted about speaking in front of the camera unrehearsed! Either way a great opportunity not to be missed.​

Ay Up Duck!

After seeing my Ay Up Duck Cushion all over Instagram and FacebookEleanor had fallen in love! She approached me back in January as she was super eager to stock the pattern in her shop. I have been selling my patterns for a few months over on Etsy but this was my first pattern to be developed into a printed version, how very exciting!

​Eleanor and I have been chatting for months, planning and plotting our exciting collaboration and now my Ay Up Duck Cushion crochet pattern is printed and will be available to purchase exclusively from Knit Nottingham this May. Never fear, if you can't wait that long, you can purchase a downloadable copy over in my Etsy shop right now... go, go get your copy right now and hook up your duck!​

Love Your Local Yarn Shop Day

Join me and Eleanor and all of her fabulous customers on Saturday 6th May at Knit Nottingham to celebrate Love Your Local Yarn Shop Day. There will be an open house in the shop, bring your crochet and knitting, have a giggle, drink tea (or bring a bottle and sip wine later on in the day!) eat cake and relax surrounded by a bunch of fellow creatives. Don't forget to bring your pennies too as there will be new yarns (AND PATTERNS!!) available as well as Eleanor's full stock range. And if you're lucky, I may even sign a pattern or two! What's not to love, right?! Get it in your diary.

" Knit Nottingham is an award winning, independent yarn shop in the heart of Nottingham. Founded in 2010 by Eleanor Burke, LLB escapee seeking refuge in her sticks and string. Since then, she's built up the most amazing, positive, affirming and conscientious little business, right in the heart of Nottingham. ​As the only (and therefore best!) local and independent yarn shop in Nottingham City Centre, Knit Nottingham like to be involved in all things crafty and social! They organise regular pub meets, knit and crochet alongs and a number of shop parties each year. Knit Nottingham was based on Mansfield Road for five years, but earlier this year they found the perfect place to move to on Trinity Walk, right in the heart of Nottingham! "

If you haven't stopped by Knit Nottingham yet then its a must visit when you're next in Nottingham.

Please do let me know how I did in my first ever vlog. I bloody enjoyed it and would love to have a go myself one day.... I'll add it to that humongous to do list!! Oooo I wonder what you'd like to hear me talk about? Answers on a postcard please!

Months and months of research, planning, designing, marketing and general hard work has finally all come together and I can now share it with you. My website is live! Yey!

Teaching

I've been teaching for many years in one form or another, volunteering and sharing my passion for learning with primary school, secondary school and adult learners. Whether I'm teaching crochet, another craft or my graphic design skills it feels so natural to share what I know and love with you.

Crochet Patterns

Teaching is one thing, designing on the other hand is a little bit more daunting, albeit super exciting, to share with you. I have followed crochet patterns by others for years and adapted them to create my own versions but this will be the first time I have actually taken a sketched idea and developed it into something unique and distinctive to me. It will be the very first time I have taken my scribbled short hand notes and transformed them into legible instructions. Instructions I hope you understand!

I had hoped to have my patterns all available to purchase from Etsy and Ravelry once I launched but it just wasn't meant to be! The patterns are in the final stages of designing and will be ready to download within the next couple of days. Watch this space my lovelies.

Don't forget Crochet Clinic!

Join me for an evening of celebration, find out a little bit more about me and what I offer as well as eat yummy cake and tasty treats. Crochet Clinic is a great place to meet like-minded people, get support when you get stuck and experiment with different materials and equipment.

CROCHET CLINIC : 1st Wednesday of the Month, 6.30pm-8.30pm. £5 Drop in session.Tesco Bulwell Community Room (upstairs near the cafe).

Update!

I can't believe there is only a couple more count downs to do before I launch my brand new website. For the first time ever I am not stressed out before a deadline. (Whats that all about!!) I have been super organised and have set realistic goals throughout the process and its bloomin' worked. Being first and foremost a mummy seems to have kept me on a sensible path.

Juggling family/life/work is a struggle at the best of times, on top of that I have thrown in setting up a business. I have a strong passion to create and share my skills that I wouldn't have it any other way. I am constantly reminding myself that I am not a single person focusing on running a business, like a lot of the people I admire, I am a chameleon adapting to multiple situations and manoeuvring my way through the best I can. And do you know what I think I'm doing an alright job!

This brings me nicely onto the people I admire and am inspired by. If it wasn't for them I would probably have settled for mediocre but because they are so good I pushed myself to be better and if not better then different. I really want to stand out from the crowd and I try my very hardest to be original. Its so easy to compare and feel disheartened by other talented folk but a wise friend of mine once gave me a bit of advice which has stuck. Its so much more empowering to tell these people you love their work and build relationships with them than sit behind a computer screen feeling inadequate. The internet is very deceptive and those that we compare ourselves with will be doing exactly the same to those they admire, it's a viscous cycle. I challenge you to be positive and be motivated by others not deterred by them, I'm pretty sure you'll be surprised by the results. Live a happy life my lovelies - follow your dreams. I am!